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Tag Archives: History
Beirut people watching.
Humanity is the best spectacle, in this city where gated communities rub shoulders with bombed-out, charred shells. Pneumatically-enhanced bimbos and babes driving Dodge Camaros on one end of the spectrum and ragged Syrian children tapping on their rolled-up windows for … Continue reading
Posted in Lebanon, Middle East
Tagged Art, Beirut, Corniche, Hamra, History, Mediterranean, Middle East, People, People watching, Phoenicia, Phoenicians, Sea, Street, Syria
12 Comments
“Arabian Sands”, by Wilfred Thesiger, Penguin Books.
Italo Calvino once wrote that a ‘classic’ is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say. If this is the approved meter of judgement for the category, then I’ve no doubts that Arabian Sands belongs to … Continue reading
Posted in Books review, Uncategorized
Tagged Africa, Arabia, Arabian Sands, Bedouin, Bedu, History, Middle East, Penguin books, Travel literature, Travelling, Travelogue, Wilfred Thesiger
8 Comments
The stubborn resilience of life
Ruins. Peeled paint. Rust. Dust. Walls tilted to impossible angles, defying gravity. Roofs caving in. Empty plots strewn with rubbish. Stray animals. These are some of the features that welcome the visitor in Tbilisi’s old town and, there’s no way … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Georgia
Tagged Decay, Georgia, Graffiti, History, Old Tbilisi, Politics, Preservation, Street photography, Tbilisi, Urban exploration, Urban photography, Urbex
4 Comments
Back to the roots: the return of agriculture in the Alps
“We decided to grow potatoes because potatoes were the staple that fuelled the Alps’ demographic boom”, explains Federico, a hand gesture encircling the tiny field, no longer than half a football field, stretching on front of us. With hindsight, finding … Continue reading
Posted in All things food, Europe, Italy, Overlooked locations, Val d'Aosta
Tagged Agriculture, Alps, Coumarial, Fontainemore, Heritage, History, Italy, Lys, Mountains, Paysage a Manger, potatoes, Rediscovery, Valle d'Aosta, Vallee d'Aoste
2 Comments